Gun-mounting laying and sighting arrangement for artillery on aeroplanes



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, El. SCHNEiDER mm vouiwwo LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY on ,AEROPLANES F iled March 14, 1923 l6 Sheets-Sheet l 'E. SCHNElDER M GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTiNG ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY ON AEROPLANES JF iled much 14, 192': I wQSheetS-SnQet' 2 May 11 1925.

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v z I E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY 0N AEROPLANES I May 11 ,wzs. 1,583,858

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May 11 1926. 1,583,858

E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY 0N AEROPLANES Filed March 14, 1923 16 Sheets-Sheet '7 May 11 1926.

E. SCHNElDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY ON AEROPLANES Filed March 14, 1923 16 Sheets-Sheet' 8 umm may 1?. i25 1,583,858

E. ECHHEQDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTKNG ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY on AEROPLANES Filed March 14, 1923 16 sheets sheet 9 u M LL May 11 1926. 1,583,853

E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ArkhANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY ON AEROPLANES Filed March 14, 1923 16 Sheets-Sheeii 10 Fly. 15.

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E. SCHNEKDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY 0N AEROPLANES 16 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed March 14, 1923 May 11 1926. 1,583,858

E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY 0N AEROPLANBS Filed March 14, 1923 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 E918. if

- E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHT-1N6 ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY ON AEROPLANBS Mag 11 1926.

Filed March 14,

1923 .16 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 May 11 1926. 1,583,858

E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY oN AEROPLANES Filed March 14, 1923 16 Sheets-Sheet l4 Il-IlIIl-I- 8k m $1M b pm/ [a Lu A May 11 1926.

E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY ON AEROPLANBS Fi led March 14 .1923

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16 Sheets-Sheet l5 2 @Ml kg gmv/mm May 11 1926. 1,583,858

E. SCHNEIDER GUN MOUNTING LAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY ON AEROPLANES Filed March 14, 1923 16 Sheets-Sheet; 16

Patented May 11, 1926.

UNITE- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SCHNEIDER &; GIE., OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

GEN-MOUNTING IVIAYING AND SIGHTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTILLERY ON AEROPLANES. I

Application filed March 14, 1923. seria'ino. 625,041.

The subject of the present invention is a combined gun mounting laying and sighting mechanism for artillery armaments installed on aeroplanes.

In order to clearly describe the mechanism constituting the subject matter of the present invention, its method of operation, and the nature of the problem presented in controlling the fire of artillery mounted on aeroplanes and directed against a stationary or moving objective, it will be assumed. that, during firing, the aeroplane remains stable, that it flies at a constant speed and at an invariable altitude, pursuing a fixed course, such that it passes approximately through the vertical axis of the. objective.

In order to more clearly understand this invention drawings depicting embodiments of the same have been annexed 'as a part of the specification, but it' is to expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be considered restrictive of the scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose. In said drawings Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive s ow an embodiment of the invention, which comprises a gun mounting constructed according to United States patent application Ser. No. 581,835 tiled Aug. 14, 1922.

Fig. 1 is a plan of the complete mounting, laying mechanism and sighting apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a. sectional elevation on a largen scale along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation of a detail along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4, which is a half sectional elevation along the line ip-4 of Fig. 2

Fig. 5 is a partial plan of a detail of the arrangenunt of the sighting apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a partial elevation of such detail corresponding to Fig. 5.

Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive illustrate preliminary adjusting and correcting mechanism in which Fig. 7 is a longitudinal elevation of the whole.

Fig. 8 is a corresponding plant Fig. 9 is a section along the line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive illustrate sighting means and associated mechanism in which Fig. 10 is an elevation showing the correctembodiment of the invention in which Fig. 15 is .a sectional elevation along a plane passing through the axis of the trunnionof the cradle.

Eig. 16 is a sectional elevation along the bridle-16 of Fig. 15,. the parts being in different positions in Figs. 15 and 16.

Fig. 17 is a detail section along the line 1717 of Fig. 15.

Figs. 18 to 21 inclusive show another embodiment of the. invention in which Fig. 18 is a section along the axis of the trunnion of the cradle and the axis of the sighting apparatus. Fig. 19 is a sectional elevation along'the line 19-19 of Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is asectional plan along the line 20 20 of Fig. 19. v

Fig. 21 is a detail sectional elevation along the line 2121 of Fig. 18.

Figs. 22 to 26. inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating the manner 'in'which various calculations are derived in carrying (hit the invention.

' It will be assumed firstly, for greater simplicity, that the fire is to be effected during a flight in a calm atmosphere, in other words without requiring corrections in laying to compensate for the action of wind.

In diagrammatic Fig. 22

1) represents the speed of the areoplane,

h the constant. altitude of flight,

B the position of the objective,

A the position of the aeroplane at the illstant of firing.

AC is the correct direction to give to the gun to hit the objective.

V is the initial velocity of the projectile.

If this velocity is plotted along AC, whilst n is plotted along the horizontal, by the parallelogram of the velocities, a resultant R is obtained directed along AC Whichis the actual muz' e velocity of the projectile.

T is the miectory of the projectile, which is tangential to R; AB is the line of sight, which forms with the direction AC of the axis of the gun, the angle of tangent elevation 5. p

Practically, it is of consequence to'know, at each-instant, the angle B which it is necessary to give to the p of sight AB directe on the objective. Well, it is conceivable that, knowing the velocities o and V and, in consequence the resultants R, the corresponding value of ,8 for a given resultant of direction AC can be determined in advance. By starting, in effect, from a given direction of B, it is easy, know1n g 0 which is horizontal and V, to determinethe value of R and, consequently, the direction of AC, and the an le which it makes. with the line of sight A Definitely, for a determined direction AB of the line of sight, the value B to which the axis of the gun must be diverted relatively to the "said, direction will always be known. This divergence will be able to. be effected automatically, by the interposition, between the elevating mecha-- nism of the gun and the sighting apparatus, of a suitably arranged cam which would have a profile corresponding to the altitude of flight 7a. The several'cains, for the different altitudes, may be combined on a longitudinally displaceable conoidal cam, such displacement enabling always the cam surface corresponding to the altitude of flight at which the fire is effected to be brought into action.

To fire under the above hypotheses and in' a calm atmosphere, it will. suffice, to recapitulate. to maintain the aeroplane in the'desired direction. in other words to maintain -1ts longitudinal axis in the vertical plane passing through the objective B; the gun it A self will be maintained directed in the same" plane.

, The arrangement, \VlllCll. Will he described later, comprises, as will be seen, a 'con'oi'dal cam provided?" as has been stated, for the purpose of ensuring for thcgun the suitable tangent elevation B correspondingto given altitude of flight h and in a direction Allof the lineof sight forming the angle N with [301 the vertical. v

Most frequently, firing must be effected with an aeroplane subjected to the action nf a wind of variable velocity and direction. However, in order to provide corrections in elevation and direction, to which it is neces- :sary,to subjectthe gun, it will be assumed thatthe direction and velocity of the Wind are constant. during. the flight in thecourse of whiclffiring is t'o be eii'ectedt ,;I,n order that, the correctionscorrespond ,7 i'ug' to a"dctermincd direction of wind can be correctly effected, the most simple plan v'ould appearto be for thefacroplane, during its fligh't, itself to preserve a constant (l1I' 'l;l On, iniorder thatthe angle it makes n relatively to the line with'the direction of the wind does not vary in other terms, that the line of flight of the aeroplane be a straight line.

For the determination of the corrections required by the wind, the two following considerations will be started from I 1. That the projectile is fired with a velocity which is the resultaa't of the muzzle velocity V and of thespeed o of the aeroplane, as if the fire were'efi'ected in a still 'where there is no wind; assuming a wind blowing along \V, AB represents the actualv line of flight of the aeroplane determined by the composition of its own velocity 'v and of the said velocity W.

- During'the flight, the axis-of the aeroplane will displace itselfparallel to the direction AH and its centre along the direction AB. It therefore, it is desired to fire on an objective B, situated in the'veftical plane of Ali',.it is first of all nccessar to displace the gun and the line-of sight, w ich are normal- 1y directed along the axis of the aeroplane or parallel'to the direction AH, through an angle, relative to the longitudinal axis of the aeroplane equal to the angle HA'B or A The line of sight being directed on the "ihjcctivc (i. c. in the plane of the course),

it remains to deviate the gun in direction of the desired angle in order to take into, account tlie'speed of the aeroplane and the action of the wind.

i In diagranunaticFig. 24, as in Fig. 22,

B denotes the objective to be attailtd by a projectile fired from the aeroplane A flying at the constant altitude and at a constant speed '1'. This objective would bein the absence of any wind, effectively attained, the gun being directed along AC, i. 0. making with the normal line of sight, the angle 6. If it is assumed that the wind,-of a velocity W. instead of havinga' direction oblique relatively to the plane of the course ofvthe aeroplane, is a following wind in the same ;-lane; with the samevelocity W, the point on the ground which will be attained by the 130 projectile, accordingv to the considerations such that B BzlVflg 25 being the duration of the flight AB If from B is drawn a R B on AB, it gives B B BB co's N Wt cos perpendicular sine a AB AB AB If by V is designated the ratio AB fi it gives:

AB =Vi and consequently Wt cos N W cos N S1116 t7 WT- =-V1 In reality, the correction 0' will generally have to be made with a wind acting obliquely n the aeroplane, as has been assumed in the diagram Fig. 23.

Diagrannnatic Fig. 25 corresponds to this assumption, and comprises an elevation and the corresponding plan. In the plan, ab is the trace of the plane of the course of the aeroplane on the horizontal plane of the objective.

R designates the resultant of the velocities V and L of the projectile and aeroplane in the air,- is the velocity of the wind blowing horizontally in the direction indicated, 1. e. the speed of displacement of the air relatively to the ground.

In the absence of any wird, the projectile would fall at I). In the event of wind, it the position of the axis of the gun is not corrected, the projectile would fall at a point,

b such that bb Wt.

If therefore it is desired to compensate for the action of the wind in order to attain the point Z), it is necessary to displace the resultant R relatively to the line of sight directed on this point through an angle a in elevation and an angle 6 in direction, in such a manner that the point b, which would thus be attained if there were no wind, is distant ,t'rom b, by the amount ZfizlVt (t being the duration of the flight ot' the projectile corresponding to B In order to determine 0' it suflices to re mark BB :?)Z/: lf cos (p.

It will have, according to the preceding relation, been established sine 0' (V varies slightly with the angle N but can be assumed constant).

The arrangement will comprise, for a wind of determined velocity \V, a cam interposed between the elevating mechanism of the gun and the sighting apparatus, such that in directing the latter (on the oh'ective, the gun is automatically dlnertedt rough the corresponding angle 0'. In ipractipe, a continuous conoidal eanl will be used of which the various sections will be plated in operation inaccordance with the value of the variable factor cos (p.

The angle 8 is formed by the offset 13 b" on the horizontal plane of the triangle,- (w b It is found: I

b b b b b b sine wy sine a since AB zv t Wt sine p W sine p WFT -It has been seen that o sihe A:W sine (p whence it follows that:

a; sine A N ow e is constant. It may likewise be ad- Vltl initted that in practice, V is constant; un- (let these conditions, it is permitted to admit, for a determined wind, a constant correction which is calculated with the transverse component W sine (p of the wind.

Knowing 8 and its horizontal projection. it is easy to deduce therefrom the position which the gun must occupy in direction, in the case of oblique wind,- it'or each position of the resultant R (the value of R depending on the position of the gun),

ltet'erring to diagrammatic Fig. 26 there is represented inv plan, ahngg the lines on and aw. the respective positions of the gun and of the resultant R, of V and of o, relativcly to the plane of the course and to the longittulinal axis of the aeroplane, in the case of oblique wind.

1 In this figure, U is parallel and equal to the horizontal projection of the speed of the aeroplane.) Thecorrection in direction which is necessary definitely to give to the gun, or the angle which the latter must make track a" providedeon the crown pedes- I ewhich the cradle F of the by trunnions f, theaxis which is perperr tal or platform 1) or on the lower of the aeroplane.

framing In the longitudinal sides of this freinc, pivots, by trunnions e, a second frame E "in mm in turn pivots dicular to thet'of the trunnions e and to the axis of the gun. i

. Laying as re ards elevation is obtained by the pivoting o the frame E about the axis of the trunnions e, the said frtirne 'ce'rr ng for this purposetoothed sectors E, w ich gear each with a pinion (1? carried b a, shaft d journalled in'bearings fast on t e longitudinal-sides of the frame 1).. This shaft is actuated by a. gear operated by means of ahand wheel T. The drift deviation A is given. to the frame 1) and to the sightingeppere- 'tus carried by the latter, by a suitable mechanism comprising, for exam is, on the said frame, a worm-sector d, which gears with a worm d"the shaft of which 18 onrnelled in bearings secured to the framing and which can be actuated by a hand wheel 0!. The.

the toothed sectors E (Fig. 2) the said worn; itself carrying a bevel pinion 7" gearing with a bevel pinion f the shaft of which is carried by a bearing fast on one of the sectors E and is actuated by means of a flexible shaft f driven by a hand wheel f. The arrangement enab es to be produced, between the sighting apparatus and the axis of the gun, a deviation in elevation on the one hand of the angie of elevation B, oil-the other hand of the angle a corresponding to the action of the wind, the value of which is, as has been seen, given by the formula:

W cos (9 cos N These deviations are effected automatical- 1y, by maintaining the sightingnpparatus directedon the objective. For'this purpose, this sighting apparatus G, of which 9 is the optical objective and g the eye 'piece, is carried by a support bar I guided in an arm of box section J, which can pivot about a spindle a test on a bracket-l l 'protruding from one of the trunnions c of the frame E (Fig. 4).

The sighting apparatus is supported, vat one end of the bar I, by means of a support X provided in any suitable inannerwith a pointed pivot stud-G, which bears constuntly on the elevation correction conoidal cam H. The opposite end of the bar I is guided, on a pin 5 carried by the arm J, by a slotwiry i having its centre of curvature at the sine a 55y means i The seid conoida'i cam ess-s te point of the stud G This end of the bar terminates in a point I, which" bears constantly on the conoidnl cam K serving to 1mpert the correction of elevation due to wind. Bearing of the her i on the conoidul cams H and K is ensured by the influence of a spring 1 secured to the crown of the guide nection allows the gun and the sighting apparatus being trained together as a whole.

Moreover, the articulation of thesighting apparatus, by the pivot G, to the barL'err ables nevertheless a deviation in direction between the line of sight and the axis of the gun. The provision for this deviation is necessary in order to take into account the deviation in direction. 3 cited above.

' The conoidel com or camoi'd H is constructed as a nut moving on a screw H, onpnble of being actuated by e knurled knob H and journelled in a support H fast on one off the longitudinal sides of the frame I). The nut H is precluded from turning by its guidance one scale her H which is graduated in altitudes of flight h;

The conoidel. sum or cemoid K, for the correction of elevation of the gun due to the action of wind, is constructed to effect a displacement of the point I as a function of W ccs cos N is movable Ion tudinelly along it feather $2 of a shaft which can turn in an arm E fast with the bracket E and the trunnion e of the frame E. The seid shaft carries a pinion K gearing with a spur Wheel K carried by an intermediate spindle keyedto the arm E, thewheel K gearing in turn with a stationary I toothed sector H rigidly fast on the su'gport H which is itself fast on the frame In a fork J formedat theend of the arm J is journalled an axle j supporting a drum J; on this drum are traced the curves of :1: (angle of the direction of the wind with the plane of the course) such that the displacement of a pointer j for determined values of W and it, represents the value W cos The drum, which carries on its edge the values of W, can be actuated by means of a milled head. 7' which enables the graduation corresponding to the known value of W brought opposite e fixed pointer w. 'i' he arm J, ineddition, constitutes a, supporting iii: 7

to be 

